Ticket holder and tray



April 1960 c. FARNHOLTZ 2,931,489

TICKET HOLDER AND TRAY Filed Jan. 14, 1958 /4 i 24 f v Clarence Famho/fz A l INVENTOR. T M w T I v T W mg United States Patent The present invention relates to a tray which may be used to hold miscellaneous small articles in a position readily accessible for use atop the instrument panel and has reference, more particularly stated, to a tray which may be employed, with requisite nicety, as a practical holder for tickets such as are used on toll bridges, highways and roads such as, for example, the New York State Thruway.

Trays of many and varied styles and forms are used in automobiles, sometimes being referred to as dashboard trays, for convenient and practical retention of eyeglasses, tissues, matches, cigarettes and so on. Also, it is common in the trade to employ suction cups and other devices for anchoring the tray in an easy-to-reach position. The tray under consideration is similar to some which have been evolved and produced for use by others but is distinct in that in addition to the regular bottom it is provided therebeneath with an added or extra bottom, sometimes referred to as a false bottom. This extra bottom has an extending lip at the front which serves as a piloting element, and the attachment of the auxiliary bottom beneath the regular bottom provides a clamp between the two bottoms of sutficient resiliency to allow the ticket, card or other item to be readily inserted, frictionally held, and conveniently removed whenever necessary or desired.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a view of a fragmentary nature and in perspective showing the area of the instrument panel portion where the improved tray is accessibly mounted and detailing the tray and how it is used;

Fig. 2 is a section on the transverse line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, that is the section is at right angles to Fig. 2 taken on the vertical line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing the surface on which the tray is mounted, which may be described as a portion of the instrument panel or interior part of thecowl is denoted by the numeral 4. The tray, as an entity is denoted by the numeral 6 and is here shown as of suitable depth and shape and size being comparatively shal- 2,931,489 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 and there is a gradually narrowing or wedge-shaped transverse slot 14 at the respective ends. The constantly open mouth portion is denoted at 16. The extended lip or flange is denoted at 18 and has a rounded marginal edge 20. This extended portion provides a satisfactory shelf which greatly aids in piloting or slipping the ticket or other equivalent article A into position to be frictionally and removably' held. Any appropriate fastening 22 is provided to attach the rubber'or equivalent friction cup 24 which is used as the hold-down means for the. improved tray. Thus, a tray with a double bottom construction and an extended lip or flange provides a receptacle for small articles and also a simple and practical and resilient ticket'clamp, which well serves the purposes and objectives for which it has been produced. It will be noticed in this connection that the fastening 22 for the rubber cup is preferably attached to the lowermost or false bottom 12.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: A

1. For use in an automobile, a ticket holder and tray combination adapted to be accessibly mounted atop a horizontal surface portion of an instrument panel where it will be convenient and safely accessible to the occupant of the front seat in said automobile comprising, in combination, a tray open at the top and designed and adapted for ready insertion and removal of miscellaneous small articles such as loose coins, packaged cigarettes, matches and the like, said tray embodying a main bottom provided around its marginal edge with an integral upstanding rim, and an auxiliary bottom having a body portion of an area equal to the bottom plan area of said main bottom and having one longitudinal edge portion secured to a corresponding longitudinal edge portion of the underneath side of the main bottom and having transverse edge portions substantially matching the transverse end portions of the tray but having no physical connection therewith, said auxiliary bottom also having a portion extending beyond the other longitudinal edge portion of said tray and providing an outstanding lip-like flange which in conjunction with the bottom of the tray serves to facilitate the insertion of a ticket in an existing space between the bottoms, the auxiliary bottom being re silient and thus serving to clampingly hold the ticket in a given position, whereby to thus provide a simple and practical holder for tickets such as are used on toll bridges.

'2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in combination an attaching and retaining device carried by a central portion of the auxiliary bottom and adapted to mount the same on the surface of the aforementioned instrument panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,700 Branstetter et al Sept. 22, 1942 2,640,596 Reeder June 2, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,028,540 France Feb. 25, 1953 

